Energy news in general

victor2

TroubledTarts said:

Ildhund said:

Scot_39 said:

... the levels on averare are fairly low - around £220-230 iirc the last data set ...

... coincidentally released yesterday: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/debt-and-arrears-indicators

I particularly like the fact that the rise in smart meters (which apparently are very easy to disconnect energy domestically) have actually meant fewer disconnections due to dent.....practically none

t Meyers isn't

Not sure it's linked to the number of smart meters installed, but does show that suppliers will not disconnect anybody. The "more information" for that graph says:

A long-term trend of reduction in the number of domestic customers disconnected for debt continued. No electricity or gas disconnection were recorded in Q4 2024, as has been the case since 2023. During 2022, there were 19 disconnections for non-payment of debt, 13 for electricity and 6 for gas. This compares to 21 disconnections in 2021, all of which were for electricity customers.

You could say it sends a clear message to consumers with credit meters that no matter what, they won't be disconnected.

TroubledTarts

victor2 said:

TroubledTarts said:

Ildhund said:

Scot_39 said:

... the levels on averare are fairly low - around £220-230 iirc the last data set ...

... coincidentally released yesterday: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/debt-and-arrears-indicators

I particularly like the fact that the rise in smart meters (which apparently are very easy to disconnect energy domestically) have actually meant fewer disconnections due to dent.....practically none

t Meyers isn't

Not sure it's linked to the number of smart meters installed, but does show that suppliers will not disconnect anybody. The "more information" for that graph says:

A long-term trend of reduction in the number of domestic customers disconnected for debt continued. No electricity or gas disconnection were recorded in Q4 2024, as has been the case since 2023. During 2022, there were 19 disconnections for non-payment of debt, 13 for electricity and 6 for gas. This compares to 21 disconnections in 2021, all of which were for electricity customers.

You could say it sends a clear message to consumers with credit meters that no matter what, they won't be disconnected.

It was tongue in cheek that the smart meters nay sayers insist it's easier for suppliers to disconnect people when this graph shows no matter the debt they really do not.

With smart meters onto her increase it is relevant to point out that the more there is has not increased disconnects in fact they remain at an all time low.

masonic

Wouldn't a customer with a smart meter that is in persistent arrears have their meter put into prepayment mode, and not be treated as a disconnection statistic? (while those without a smart meter would at a minimum face attempts to get a prepayment or smart meter fitted before a disconnection would be sanctioned)

victor2

As they say, there's lies, damned lies and statistics. 

Scot_39

Ildhund said:

Scot_39 said:

... the levels on averare are fairly low - around £220-230 iirc the last data set ...

... coincidentally released yesterday: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/debt-and-arrears-indicators

People with a customer credit balance - which is what the £220-230 figure was referring to - will not be in Ofgems stats for debt / arrears.

Ildhund

Scot_39 said:

People with a customer credit balance - which is what the £220-230 figure was referring to - will not be in Ofgems stats for debt / arrears.

Sorry, you're right. They're on this page, published a day earlier: Domestic energy customer credit balances, January 2024 to December 2024 | Ofgem

• The average household credit balance for fixed Direct Debit customers across the 12 months ending December 2024 was £215, a decrease from £233 across the year ending December 2023. 
• The average household energy account for fixed Direct Debit customers was in credit by £206 between October to December 2024, a decrease from £272 reported in the same period in 2023. 

 
The trend is definitely downwards.

stripling

£10 added to UK energy bills to support wood-burning firm Drax

"Drax made a record £1.1 billion profit last year, bolstered by £869 million in green subsidies, despite growing scrutiny over its use of imported biomass" 

It always makes me laugh when objectors to state ownership of key infrastructure ignore how much in
subsidies and various forms of tax relief many companies receive...  Once again a case of the privatisation of profit and the socialisation of debt. 

I hope our standing charges, particularly for electricity, are stripped of some of this nonsense soon. 
[insert a little winged piggy emoji here].

Scot_39

stripling said:

£10 added to UK energy bills to support wood-burning firm Drax

"Drax made a record £1.1 billion profit last year, bolstered by £869 million in green subsidies, despite growing scrutiny over its use of imported biomass" 

Burning wood - in terms of the timescales for net zero - is not zero emissions.

Their are many respected reports - by region and tree type - that it takes around 40 - 100+ years - to reclaim the emissions from burning trees by replanting felled forrests.

It should never have been given the green levies on the basis of 2050 target dates - and only gets them because the carbon is counted in the nations the trees are felled - 1000s of miles away - and therefore not counted towards UK target.

The good news is IIRC Labour have just recently decided to cut them significantly - but from 2027.  Which I think was raised above when announced.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyplj7dkw2o

 

Edit

"It says the company currently receives nearly a billion pounds a year in subsidies and predicts that figure will more than halve to £470m under the new deal."

Edit 2

The bad news is they decided to keep them going - as everyone knows we cannot rely on wind and solar - so have no choice - well maybe once Hinkley and Sizewell and some SMRs on tap.

Scot_39

Ildhund said:

Scot_39 said:

People with a customer credit balance - which is what the £220-230 figure was referring to - will not be in Ofgems stats for debt / arrears.

Sorry, you're right. They're on this page, published a day earlier: Domestic energy customer credit balances, January 2024 to December 2024 | Ofgem

• The average household credit balance for fixed Direct Debit customers across the 12 months ending December 2024 was £215, a decrease from £233 across the year ending December 2023. 
• The average household energy account for fixed Direct Debit customers was in credit by £206 between October to December 2024, a decrease from £272 reported in the same period in 2023. 

 
The trend is definitely downwards.

Yes I think mine were Sep vs Sep figures.

The_Green_Hornet

Gas boiler fittings outnumbered heat pumps by 15 to one in UK last year – report

Poorer households shut out of heat pump market and grants should be increased to speed up rollout, thinktank says

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/10/gas-boilers-heat-pumps-uk-grants-report